Over 500 feared dead, including many children, as migrant boat sinks

ATHENS – Greek authorities believe more than 500 people could have died after a migrant boat capsized, with media reports on Thursday saying many of the dead could be children.

The 104 survivors from the accident 92 kilometers off the southwestern coast of Greece on Wednesday are being brought to a refugee camp near Athens on Thursday and Friday.

Around 26 of them are first being treated in hospital, mainly for hypothermia, authorities said.

The transfer of the dead to Athens has also begun, state broadcaster ERT reported.

DNA samples are to be taken to identify the 78 bodies recovered.

Search efforts continued through the night and continued on Thursday but to no avail.

“Neither survivors nor further victims were discovered during the night,” a spokesman for the Greek coast guard told state radio.

He said it is assumed that the people below deck were unable to save themselves when the 30-metre long, rusting vessel sank.

Greek officials put the actual number of fatalities at more than 500 but say they will never be certain. The figures are based on information from survivors as well as estimates from the coast guard as to how many people were crammed onto the fishing boat.

Media reports have quoted some survivors as saying more than 700 could have been on board and that around 100 children were in the hold.

The boat had set sail from Libya days earlier, heading for Italy.

Both coast guard officials and passing freighters radioed to help, the Greek coast guard said.

Passengers, however, refused the offer, saying they wanted to reach Italy, according to the Greeks.

As the boat was in international waters, the Greek coast guard could only intervene when it got into distress and capsized on Wednesday.